A/N: Un-beta'd, a bit rushed to make it on time (there's a lot I wish I could've delved further on), but I did it, it's still June 18th as I type out this author's note, so happy birthday Kise~!
"Hurry up hurry up hurry up, you're going to be late!"
Momoi Satsuki pushed her shoulder into Aomine's back, stocking clad heels barely gripping against the floor as she attempted shoving her childhood friend towards the door of his apartment.
Aomine Daiki merely glanced down over his shoulder at her with a withering look painted across his features, "And whose fault is that? You're the one who insisted I try on four entirely different outfits the moment I stepped through the damn door after practice."
Momoi ceased pushing for a moment to look up into Aomine's face, unable to suppress a smile. They had been friends for over two decades now, and while so many things changed, some things remained constant, like how they still bickered like children and he still lived and breathed basketball.
He raised an eyebrow at the sight of her smile, but didn't say anything as she resumed pushing, "But today's special, Dai-chan," she protested, "You're taking Ki-chan out to dinner for his birthday, so you have to look good! I mean for goodness's sake, he's a famous model!"
"…I suppose so," Aomine decided after a moment's thought, only to have Momoi sigh in irritation, finally managing to tip him out of his home in his moment's distraction. He straightened and flashed her a grin, "Thanks, Satsuki! I'll talk to you tomorrow." She answered by slamming the door to his apartment closed.
Aomine rolled his eyes and jogged leisurely down the stairs leading from his front door and to his car. Honestly, the woman acted like she owned the place. Nevertheless, she was helpful, when she wanted to be, and if it didn't involve cooking
Aomine had barely pulled up in front of the building where Kise's shoot was taking place before the blond himself yanked open the passenger side door and slid in with a cheerful greeting of "Aominecchi!" and a quick kiss to Aomine's cheek.
"Perfect timing," Aomine drawled, pulling Kise back by the collar, of what was probably a ridiculously expensive, shirt, and kissing him properly on the mouth, before straightening and driving them downtown, parking in a structure.
They both exited the car, and after locking it, began walking down the main strip. No sooner had they laced their fingers together and turned a corner did they run into Midorima Shintarou and Takao Kazunari, quite literally. From what it appeared, Midorima had accidentally lost control of his lucky item of the a day, a live cockatiel, and the bird had been evading their pair's grasp, though Takao and just almost got a hold of it when he promptly smashed into Aomine and Kise.
"Oof!" "Ouch!" "Damnit!" "Watch it!"
The four of them exclaimed simultaneously, stopping after taking a step back. The two pairs merely stared at each other before Takao broke the silence, effectively cutting Midorima's biting remark off with an ecstatic exclamation of "Happy birthday, Kise!"
Noticing the look on Midorima's face, Aomine only allowed Kise to respond with a quick thank you and accept the small but meticulously wrapped package Takao pressed into Kise's hand, before hauling the blond away, explaining that he probably would have stuffed his shoe into Midorima's mouth had the shooting guard been given the opportunity to speak.
Kise laughed and bumped his shoulder against Aomine's arm as they turned into the entryway to the restaurant Kise had mentioned wanting to try a few weeks back…and promptly turned around to walk back out.
"Hey, wait!" Kagami's voice boomed at the pair.
Aomine paused for a moment to glare at where the entirety of the former Seirin basketball team sat, "Don't think we intend to, Bakagami."
"Please, don't be rude."
"Wh-shit! Tetsu, don't do that," Aomine growled as Kuroko popped his head around the wall that was Kagami.
"I apologize," Kuroko answered in his usual deadpan, which, as a result, made it quite obvious he wasn't sorry at all, "But please do wait a moment. I have a gift for Kise-kun."
"Ahhhh a gift for me?" Kise asked with mild surprise and evident delight, "Thank you Kurokocchi, Kagamicchi~" He crowed as he accepted the rectangular box from the pair.
"It's no problem, have a nice evening," Kuroko answered with a hint of a smile while Kagami looked a bit flustered with Kise's acknowledgement.
Aomine sighed, glancing down at his watch, rather amazed at how much time it took to walk two blocks simply because they encountered some of, the admittedly most interesting yet, annoying people he knew. Seeing that this restaurant was a bust, he thought down the strip of downtown before turning to ask Kise if he would be alright with eating at another restaurant they both rather enjoyed, and Kise agreed. It was a bit more upscale than the one they were exiting, and Aomine found himself silently thanking Satsuki for dressing him up a bit, as if she had known Aomine's plans better than he himself did.
Aomine didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry when a certain redhead stopped them with calm, "Daiki, Ryouta."
Kise merely glanced at his boyfriend, amused, before turning back to greet their former captain and their former-former captain, "Hi there Akashicchi, Nijimura-san." Despite Nijimura's reentry into the Generation of Miracle's lives in their early college years, and his quiet marriage to Akashi almost exactly a year prior, Nijimura still rather frightened Kise, and the model refrained from adding –cchi to the raven's name despite the fact the older man held Kise's utmost respect for managing to capture Akashi's heart.
Even now, Nijimura looked irritable, to which Kise shifted to closer to Aomine and kept his gaze on Akashi. Akashi shot Kise an amused look, noticing the blond's mild discomfort, and turned back to Aomine, "It seems it would be ideal for me to warn you that you may encounter some, ah, festivity, at your intended destination."
His words were met with a groan from Aomine, who had long since learned to not doubt Akashi's words. Akashi merely gave a light laugh, and slipped past the two with Nijimura in tow, "Although, it would be preferable if you did not change your location, as I paid your meal in advance, consider it my birthday gift."
Aomine frowned at Akashi's back then shifted his gaze to Kise who laughed, "Well, personally, I don't it can't get any weirder, so we might as well, Aominecchi." Aomine answered by muttering something unintelligible under his breath and continuing on.
When they entered the restaurant, Akashi's cryptic warning came true in the form of the restaurant manager, with three waitresses hiding behind him, arguing with Himuro Tatsuya, who was evidently struggling to maintain his pleasant expression as Murasakibara glared down at the manager, looming over all of them.
Luckily, a host appeared before Aomine and Kise, offering a rapid apology for the scene and whisking the two away towards the back of the restaurant. The two former Yosen students didn't appear to notice Aomine and Kise, and they were able to take their seats without further delay.
Their meal was delivered in three stages with immense efficiency, something Aomine attributed to Akashi's wealth and influence, but mostly the redhead's wealth. As per usual, the food was excellent, exactly what each would have ordered even if they had been presented with choice.
As they chatted idly over hot tea and an array of numerous little pastries and delicacies that screamed Akashi, Aomine's hand slipped into his pocket, turning the small box around in his hand. Kise sat leaning forward, his head resting on one of his hands, the other playing with his fork as he occasionally snagged a small bite of a pastry here, and another one there.
Aomine almost stood, but noticing Himuro and Murasakibara pass them to exit the restaurant, he slumped a bit in his chair. Noticing the miniscule action, Kise tilted his head, "Ah, Aominecchi must be tired from practice. Shall we head home?" Aomine simply nodded and the two exited the restaurant, walking back towards the car slowly, their hands linked together as they continued their nonsensical chatter.
As Kise rambled about his upcoming shoot, Aomine kept his gaze trained on the male next to him, noticing that even in the soft glow of the streetlights overhead, the loose strands of Kise's hair seemed to practically glow, as if they were in the sun. Momentarily distracted by the running thoughts of how Kise looked almost like an angel with his glowing hair and glittering gaze, Aomine suddenly broke into Kise's words, stopping the blond midsentence as Aomine's words tumbled out in a mess of, "Kise, you're beautiful and I love you, marry me?"
Kise stared at Aomine in blank astonishment as Aomine suddenly realized what he had done, pulling the ring box from his pocket and mumbled, "That wasn't quite supposed to happen that way, I have the ring and everyth-"
"Stupid Aominecchi, of course I will," Kise laughed, grasping Aomine's hands with his own, tears glittering on his lashes.
"Ah wait, you will, what?" Aomine blinked at Kise. A moment passed. And another. "That's amazing, yes!" he suddenly found his voice as he realized that Kise had actually said yes. He pulled the blonde closer by the waist, pressing his forehead against Kise's with a wide grin.
Kise laughed again, looping his arms around Aomine's neck and kissing his now fiancé. A lot had changed, but much remained the same, though perhaps now, they were headed for more change.